Locomotive-steam purifier



May s, 1928. 1,668,905

C. G. HAWLEY I LOCOMOTIVE STEAM PURIFIER Filed May 4, 1925 Patented May8, 1928.

UNITED STATES CHARLES GILBERT HAWLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLIltTOIS, ASSIGNORT0 CENTRIFIX COB- 1,668,905 AT N F CE- PORATION,1OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, vACORPORATION OF OHIO.

V LQGOMOTIVE-STEA ron ri'iiit.

Application filed m 4, 1925. seriaim. 27,852.

My invention relates to locomotive boilers and the like, having steaindomes from which the steain is taken, and more especially this'inventionrelates to'ineans fo1"(lrying the boiler. a

The object of tlie invention is to provide a simple and effectivesteain' purifieror dryer adapted for employment direetly'within thedoineof a boiler and, further, to' provide a steam purifying apparatusthat maybe insta'lle'd and-removed Without disturbing any part of theboiler, and with a minimunrof labor. Other" objects of the inventionwill appear hereinafter; g

The invention will be readily understood on reference tothea'ccoinpanyin'g drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinalsection of the domed" top of a locomotive boiler;'Fig; 2 is a sectionalview" thereof on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig; 3 is like unto Fig". 1'but shows the purifier or steam dryer directly serving the dry pipe ofthe boiler, it being assumed that the throttle valve is in" thefronhend? of tli'e'boiler; Fig. 4: is a sectional View on'theline' 4L4of F ig.l3;

Fig. 5 is a verticalsection of one of the centrifugal steam purifyingunits 6 is a section thereof on the" line 6+6 of ig. 5; Fig. 7 is aneiilarged sectional detail showing how the pan portion of the device issupported.

The part 2 in Fig. l' represents the top V ugal unit I) is clearlydisclosed in Figs. 5

of a locomotive boiler-shell containing the large opening 3 Which iscovered by the dome 4. The top of the dome contains the usual largecentral opening 4 and is closed by the usual dome cape. v

The groove i and the packing 6' between the oltznne-top and the cap arebest shown in The part 8 represents an ordinarythrottl'e valve box onthe rear end of the boiler dry pipe 9*. It containsthe throttle valve10. The structure of Fig. 3 is identical with that of Fig. 1 except thatthe throttle box is replaced by the upturned steam receiving elbow 11belongingto the dry pipe 12. In both cases the steam from the upper partof the boiler rises into the dome and thence passes down into the drypipe, the openings of the dry pipe being placed as high as possibleabove the steam disengagement surface.

the steam before itis permitted to leave ofthe: throttle box 8, or overthe before the steam reaches the dry pipei This novel steam purifyingdevice comprises only txyoi parts; or, inoreexactly, parts of two kinds,for one of the parts may be duplicated.

The largerpart comprises a shallow meta'l pan or. of a size todrop downthrough the hole in the top of the dome; The pen is sup-ported by a topflange a which rests in the packinggroove 4, and is fastened by hedoine' cap. The botto-n'i' of the pan con: ta-ins a hole a and fits downover the top top of theel'bow 11. In the absence of a tight fit,suitable packing may be used between the pan bottom and" the part 801511 on which it fits. No very tight joint is required, for as willappear the interior of the pan is always in' free'COITIIIlIlIllCtIfilOIl with the steam space or the boiler.

Tliere naining portions of the pan bottom contain, first, openings 9" or12" for the up per ends of such auxil'a-ry dry pipes as'niay be found inthe dome, and, second, one or more holes a for the centrifugalseparatorunits 6. That unit or units comprise the other orrlhplicated part of thesteanrpurifier- The preferred construbtion" of the centrifand '6 and itcoin-prises a top ring 6 conmining a steam outlet opening 6 andpreferably" characterized by a downwardly and inwardly pitchedundersurface 32?, together with the n'mltiple tangential" tuyere rin orbarrel, The l atterhas an internal diameter considerably greater thanthat of the opening 5?; thus to present the overhanging anni'ilarshoulder or abutment b a-t'th'e top of the tufyere ring. The tuyere ringis comp'osed of a circumferential series of operatively overlapl'iingtangential tuyereblad'es P r y 1,668,905

is fastened to the bottom of the pan, as by a plurality of bolts 0.

If a single unit is employed the opening 0 in the top thereof shouldslightly exceed the cross-sectional area of the throttle valve Whenfully opened. As a rule, it is more practical to employ several smallercentrifugal units, and, in such cases,'the outlet openings 6 thereoflikewise aggregate an area in excess of that called for by the throttlevalve and. dry pipe. Next, in each case, the aggregate area of the longtuyeres is preferably greater than the area of the opening and may bedouble that area.

Upon the removal of the dome cap the units Z) may be lifted from thepan, as for purposes of inspection. or replacement. When the dome cap istaken off and the pan a is removed, a mere matter of lifting the pan outof the dome, the dome is left entirely free and aworkman may enter theboiler through the dome. In other words, the addition of the describedfreely removable parts does not complicate or change the boilerconstruction in any particular.

It will at once be evident that the tuyeres Z and the top openings 6 ofthe centrifugal units are constantly open and that as they are ofadequate dimensions, the pressure within the pan will always be the sameas that in the steam space of the boiler.

, l/Vhen the throttle valve of the dry pipe -is closed there is nomovement of steam through the units or pan, but upon the opening eitherof the main throttle valve, or of a valve associated with an auxiliarydry pipe, the steam starts to How through the tangential tuy'eres of the.unit or units 5.

Due to the tangential entrance of the streams of steam they are causedto immediately impact the surfaces of succeeding blades. Furthern'iore,the tangential entrance of the streams causes the body of steam withinthe unitto take on a very rapid whirling ,movement. These operationsresult in centrifugally separating the heavier moisture globules andparticles of solid matter, leaving them upon the inner surfaces of thetuyere blades and in much the same whirling condition as the steam. Theoverhanging annular abutment b prevents the up ward movement of thecollected substances, downward reaction taking place and there 1s acontinuous delivery of the heavier sub stances to the periphery of thebottom or closure Z), and thence back into the boiler.

The steam being freed from this burden moves into the pan in a drystate, and, within. the limits of locomotive practice, the

greater the volume of steam, the greater its velocity through the fixedcentrifugal units, and the better the assurance of dryness.

The novel structure taken as a whole is not only complete in itself, sothat it may be easily removed and put back into the dome as a unit, butit ispractically selfcleaning, and so little subjected to Wear that itretains its effectiveness after long periods of use.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent: Y

1. A boiler dome and dome cap, in combination with a dry pipe leadingfrom said dome, a. removable pan in said dome, and one or morecentrifugal separators depending from the bottom of said pan, said panreceivingthe upper end of said dry pipe and said separators and panformingthe avenue through which the steam must pass to reach said drypipe.

2. A boiler dome and dome cap, in combination with a dry pipe leadingfrom said dome," a removable pan in said dome and receiving the upperend of said pipe, one or more centrifugal separators depending from thebottom of said pan and forming the avenue through Which the steam mustpass to reach said pan and dry pipe, each ing within said dome from themargin of the opening in the top of the dome and held by said cap, and asteam purifying means hanging from said pan.'

4-. A boiler dome having an opening in its top, iircombination with adome cap normally closing said opening, a dry pan hanging within saiddome and held by said cap, the bottom of said pan containing a steamoutlet, the bottom of said pan also containing one or more steam inletopenings and steam purifying devices hanging from the bottom of said panatthe respective steam inlet openings.

5. A boiler dome and dome cap, in combination with a dry pan hangingWithin said dome and held by said cap, said pan and cap completing a drysteam chamber, in combination with one or more centrifugal steampurifying units hanging from the bottom of said pan and through whichthesteam enters the pan.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 80th day of April,A. 1925.

. CHARLES GILBERT HAWLEY.

